The Dragon's Prodigy
by SkilledWritersPen
Summary: One day, the prodigy of an old and ancient dragon, stops by the guild, on a misson only the Fairy Tail wizards can help her with. I suck at summaries, but it's Grey/OC and will be rated M for later chapters, possibly. R and R, tell me how you felt about it. Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of said characters.


Kai Kuriyama stood in front of the wide, towering doors of the Fairy Tail Guild. She had walked through the town normally, perfectly fine, but when she was a foot away from those doors, she froze. This wasn't a friendly calling visit. This was a mission given to her by her master. At the mention of her guardian, Kai clenched her fist and closed her eyes as the actions that led to her being in Magnolia replayed through her mind.

_"You need to find Makarov Dreyar and give him this letter." Rinagni handed her a small envelope. It was right after practice and Rinagni was unusually persistent._

_ Kai took it and glanced up at him, confused. "Why must I seek him out? Who is he?"_

_ Rinagni's snout curled up into a smile. "He is an old friend and he will take good care of you."_

_ "T-Take care of me? Master, are you leavin-" Kai became panicked and Rinagni interrupted her._

_ "He is a good man. I can not answer any of your questions, but I need you to do this for me."_

_ Kai gripped the envelope in her hands tightly before sighing and loosened her grip. "I understand. I will do this for you, Rinagni."_

_ "Good, child. You make me proud." A wing bowed down and gently brushed against her cheek, the roughness warm and comforting._

_ Kai smiled sadly as she left him to his cave that night, not knowing that that would be the last time she saw him for a very long time. _

_ Rinagni went missing a few days afterwards and left a wrecked Kai in his wake. She didn't not what to do. She had lost her ground, her sky, her rock, her guiding light. A soft rustle from inside her pocket made her closed eyes snap open. She took out the letter addressed to Makarov and stared at it a long moment. Then, Kai stood, determination causing her chin to rise into the air. She knew how she was going to start searching for Rinagni and it all started with this man._

Now, she was hesitant. But Kai remembered her purpose for being there, gained courage from that, closed the distance between her and the doors and pushed them open.

The main hall of the Fairy Tail guild was full of the infamous wizards it was known for, talking loudly and being rowdy. Kai slowly walked towards the middle of the room, moving past and around many wizards, who all, one by one, ceased their talking and horseplay to watch this stranger. Kai slowly stopped in the middle of the hall with the entire guild surrounding her. Most faces were guarded, some curious and cautious.

"I am looking for a Makarov Dreyar. I was told I could find him here."

No one said a word and the hall was strangely silent as if all activity outside had stopped to listen in. Kai started to think she'd gotten the wrong place until a gravelly voice said, "I am Makarov. What business do you have with me?"

She glanced up to see a short, old man looking down at her from the balcony of the second floor. His dark eyes were sharp and searching her face, probably thinking that he might have seen her before, yet couldn't remember. Kai said nothing. She simply watched him, not knowing what to say, but giving no indignation of it. When Kai watched Makarov's face twitch in irritation, she silently raised her left hand into the air.

Makarov became breathless. He recognized the intricate details, the vivid use of color, all blending perfectly. It was an ancient symbol; a pair of wings made of flame and ice. It was the symbol of a dragon he knew, on the back of her hand. A symbol of rare and powerful magic. His eyes widened as he snapped back to reality and gaped down at the young lady as she slowly dropped her hand.

"Y-You are the prodigy of Rinagni?"

Kai nodded, relieved that he had figured it out. It saved her a lot of talking. "I am. He sent me to find you and give you this letter."

The old man hurried down the stairs and took the letter from her hand. Makarov opened it up and his eyes scanned the page.

"What does it say?" A pink-haired man said, moving from the group to try and look over Makarov's shoulder. He shooed him away and smiled up at Kai.

"It looks like we have a new member."

"What!?" They all exclaimed in unison.

Kai wasn't planning on this happening. She had only hoped he would aid her in finding Rinagni, not have her join Fairy Tail.

"U-Uh, I think you misread that letter, sir, because Rinagni never said anything about this."

"No, I suppose he didn't." Makarov stared up at her with serious eyes. "But he is not here right now is he, child?"

Kai sighed and her shoulders slumped. "No, he disappeared a few days after telling me to find you."

"Wait, wait." The pink-haired man said. "Someone please explain who this 'Rinagni' is."

"Rinagni is an old and powerful dragon. His kind thrived millions of years ago and had a unique ability that is now extremely rare. But, it seems our friend here," Makarov glanced pointedly at Kai as she rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the walls, avoiding any and every pair of eyes. "Was gifted with this very rare, very powerful magic."

"What kind of magic?" A women with red hair asked seriously, watching Kai calculatingly.

"She has the ability to use two elements. Fire like Natsu and ice like Grey."

"Hmm, that's not something you hear everyday." A man with blue hair and deep blue eyes murmured.

"'Not something you hear everyday'?! Grey, that's freaking awesome! I'll just get her to help me take you down and it'll be the best day ever." The pink-haired man shouted happily. Kai surmised that was Natsu.

Makarov peered at her. Kai carefully kept her nervousness under a tight reign. She can't let them know she was actually ready to cower in her boots. Being the center of attention wasn't something she enjoyed and tended to shy away from the limelight. But she needed to do this in order to find Rinagni. She was determined to do anything it took and that drive fairly glowed in her eyes as she raised her head and met Makarov's gaze.

"Well, someone take her to get her tattoo. Welcome to the Fairy Tail guild, Miss...?" He trailed off.

"Kuriyama. Kai Kuriyama."

He smiled. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Kai."

A couple of hours later, newly tattooed with the emblem of her newest guild on the side of her neck, Kai stood beside, Lucy, who was giving her a brief tour of the building.

"So, you just choose the one you want?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, basically. You can go it alone or you can do it in a group. That way, the chances of success are higher and you can feel assured that your friends will have your back!"

Kai sighed, rubbed the back of her neck, and frowned. "I've never really had a friend."

"What!?" Lucy shouted, drawing attention to their little huddle, before quietly continuing. "But everyone has at least one friend."

"Ah, not me." Kai replied, walking away from a gaping Lucy and sitting down at the bar.

Lucy watched her stride away and thought she could detect a hint of loneliness in Kai's voice. There was something about the set of her shoulders as she rested her arms on the bar. Something in her face, a deep negative emotion she was trying to hide behind her indifferent expression. Sure, everyone had a past, but Lucy felt that hers was especially horrible. She, then and there, decided that she would be Kai's friend.

"Well," She said, sitting beside Kai. "I'll be your friend."

Kai chuckled with veiled self contempt . "I'm not sure you would want to be my friend."

Lucy frowned, her brown eyes narrowing with concern, and glanced at Mira, who was standing behind the bar as usual, and also watching Kai. She must have heard what Kai had said. Lucy had the feeling that Kai had no idea how to make friends, being isolated for so long, training with a dragon. What about her family? Did she have any? Surely, they loved her very dearly. But something about Kai's expressionless facade bothered her as if a dark secret lurked just beneath the surface. Whatever it was, this girl was damaged and Lucy wanted to help her. Anyone who could affect her this much after meeting her only hours before had to be a special person.

Kai inwardly chided herself. Why did I tell her that? Now, they will probably be feeling pity towards me. The last thing I wanted from anybody was pity. It had been given and had done nothing. She cast her eyes downward as she slipped off her stool and headed towards the exit.

"Hey, Kai, where ya going?" Natsu yelled, interrupting his argument with Grey, as she passed them.

Kai's boots made heavy, clear footsteps as she walked away. But she slowed when Natsu called after her. She glanced at him over her shoulder and said, "I'm not going far. I'll be back in a little while."

She looked forward once again, the airy material of her loose dark blue tunic gently swishing as she moved. The sound of the doors opening echoed in the hall and the slam of them did as well. Natsu peered over at Grey, confused, but Grey just shook his head, staring at the closed doors.

Above the main hall, on the balcony of the second floor, Makarov watched as Kai left the guild. He remembered what Rinagni had told him about her past in the letter and closed his eyes in sadness. The young lady had a troubling past and childhood. He only hoped that some time here with his rag-tag group would soften her up and get her to open up to others. Makarov sighed heavily.

"Master?"

Makarov opened his eyes slowly. "Yes, Mira?"

Mira stepped out from behind him to join his at the banister. "I'm worried about Kai. She seems so lonely, remote."

"I know, Mira, I know. But, please, give her a chance. She has had a tough past few weeks and a very traumatic childhood event that has affected even now."

Mira frowned sadly. "Is that why she said Lucy wouldn't want her as a friend?"

"I would say so. I know why, but you must wait for Kai to trust you enough to share it herself. Until then, please watch over her." Makarov folded his hands in front of him and furrowed his brows. "I feel that she is struggling with something deep inside her and she needs someone to be there for her, to convince her that she is not alone."

Mira nodded. "I will try."

"Please do so. I fear we may be losing her already."

Kai hadn't gone far. After wondering the town, she found a small park and rested on a bench. The breeze blew her bangs across her face and played with the ends, dancing and waving in the air. Kai reached up above her to pluck a leaf from the tree branch. There it sat, cradled in her palm. With the tip of her index finger on the other, she tapped it. The leaf curled up and a fine layer of ice covered it before being coated with a thicker one which cut off all oxygen and light, killing it while preserving it in the icy prison. Kai stared at the dead leaf, thinking back to how familiar it looked. Her eyes tightened as she heated the same finger and set the frozen leaf ablaze, the intense heat fusing with the ice to create a deadly mixture of extreme heat and chill. It destroyed the leaf in her palm, leaving nothing, not even ash, behind.

"That's a neat trick." A voice said from nearby. Kai looked up to see Grey leaning against a tree a couple of yards away.

She closed her empty palm and set it down in her lap. "Yeah, I know. Why are you here?"

He shrugged. "You were the one who left the guild. I was wondering what you found more fun than staying in a room with drinking, laughing, arguing, and fights."

"That is a matter of opinion. Depends on who you are."

"I guess you're right."

Grey shoved off the tree and walked over to sit beside her. "How does it work? How do they work together without canceling out one another?"

Kai felt a small smile tug on her lips at his curiosity. "Instead of canceling each other out, or snuffing each other out, they fuse chemically and combine. I don't know how it works, but somehow it just does."

Grey listened as she explained, a small smile on her face. The wind played with her long, silver hair, and her eyes were the color of the afternoon sun. Grey thought not only was she pretty, she was a good person, he could tell. She was just hurt like the rest of them, carrying around her own emotional baggage. And Grey couldn't help but wonder what hers was, what had made her what she was now, but knew better than to ask.

Suddenly, Kai's cheeks were red and she was staring off into the distance. "Um, Grey...you're not wearing a shirt."

"Ah!" Grey groaned, hurriedly searching for his shirt and pulling it back on. His cheeks were slightly flushed as Kai watched him with an amused grin. He thought it made her beautiful, when she smiled. Her whole face lit up when she did and it was infectious, making him smile, too.

"Why do you do that? Is it a habit?"

Grey sat back down, made sure he still had all of his clothing on, and scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Hmm." She nodded, trying to smother her laughter. Grey heaved a sigh and crossed his arms.

"Go ahead and laugh."

Kai let a small amount of laughter bubble out before she caught herself. For years, even with Rinagni, she had been under a dark cloud, hardly ever smiling or laughing, and here she was, laughing at Grey's strange habit of stripping himself. It was strange, she thought as she stared in front of her, focusing on nothing, that these people could already be affecting her. She couldn't be close to anyone, couldn't become friends with or even love someone. Kai's eyes tightened with pain. The last time she had, she ended up sending them to the eternal sleep, never to be seen again. And it was all her fault. Self-induced loathing for herself flooded Kai's every pore, every fiber. A vow had been made inside of her that day; never become close to anyone or you would end up destroying them.

Grey watched as the light faded from Kai's face as she stared into space. He wondered what had caused her sudden change when he saw hardness flash into her gaze before she masked it.

Kai stood. "I'm sorry. I have to go. "

Grey grabbed her wrist as she started to turn away from him. "Where are you going?"

"I need to find a place to stay."

"But where?"

"It won't matter and I won't ask Master Makarov either. He's been kind, but I don't want to disrupt him or anyone else with my problems."

Grey stood up and yanked her closer to him. "Let us help you, Kai. You don't have to be strong. Though you just met us, we Fairy Tail wizards have one another's back. So, let us-"

"No." She interjected, harshly. "I don't need you pity, I don't want your charity." Her voice trailed off sadly and she took a deep breath. "I understand your wanting to help me, but I'm not a Fairy Tail wizard. This tattoo means nothing. I'm not a part of those bonds that you all share and I never will be."

Grey couldn't seem to find anything to say to that. He stared at her, trying to figure out what to say to convince her, to reassure her, but then felt as if it would not change her mind.

Kai's eyes closed briefly and she said, "Grey, please let go of me."

Grey looked down at his hand, still clasped around her slender, in surprise. He had forgotten. Grey slowly loosened his hold and slipped his hand away.

Kai opened her eyes and willed her legs to move. Two feet, ten feet, twenty, and she was far away. Grey watched her retreating back, an unexplainable emotion filling him. He had no idea what it was or why it was there, but he ignored it as he watched Kai fade from his sight.


End file.
